


Cups of Coffee

by Fabrisse



Series: Transformations [8]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-08
Updated: 2010-08-08
Packaged: 2017-10-11 00:05:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/106054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fabrisse/pseuds/Fabrisse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Reid and Haley talk</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cups of Coffee

Haley sipped her coffee as she waited at Starbucks. It was the last Friday in August, and she'd just dropped Jack at Aaron's apartment.

A small plate of the mini scones were slipped onto the table, and Spencer Reid sat down in the chair opposite her. "They're for both of us. If you like vanilla."

She nodded. "I hope it was all right to ask you to meet me here."

"I'll miss my yoga class, but I can take one tomorrow." He took a sip of his coffee and snagged one of the scones.

"Thank you." She looked at her coffee before finally blurting out, "I behaved badly at the party last month. I'm sorry."

Reid put down his scone and sat back in the green easy chair. Several questions went through his mind before he finally asked, "What does that mean for Jack and Aaron?"

"Nothing. I mean, nothing will change. I'm not prejudiced, well, I didn't think I was, but… I've broken it off with Sven."

Reid raised his eyebrows at that. "Have you mentioned any of this to Hotch?"

"Not yet. I wanted to talk to you first. I… Jack's missed you. I wasn't expecting that."

"I wasn't expecting to miss him, either."

Haley really looked at him for the first time since he sat down. "You do, don't you?"

He nodded and sipped his coffee.

"I knew Aaron would eventually start dating again. Hell, half my divorced friends were trying to ask him out practically before I'd filed the paperwork."

"He's an attractive man."

She smiled at him. "He never believes it. When he first asked me out back in high school, one of his ex-girlfriends tried to warn me away because she wanted him back. I don't think he even considered it."

"Neither do I. But if you said the word, he'd think about Jack, about your history, and have you in front of the justice of the peace in a heartbeat."

Haley said, "No. He wouldn't. Not even for Jack. Once Aaron's in love, it's for life, but once he's found someone there's no cheating, no take backs, no looking back. He's in love with you. I have had that conversation with him. This was before I broke it off with Sven."

"Why did you? You'd been together since before you left Aaron."

She sputtered on her coffee. "Aaron told you that?"

"No. When you sent him the divorce papers, he… let's just say he didn't make the best decisions for a day or two. This was a year or more before we got together, by the way, and when I asked him, he said, 'I can't have what I want.' I figured then that you already had someone else."

"I'm not proud of it. I needed more from him. We had a good marriage, and then he became unit chief. Even then, it was a good marriage. What I wanted from him didn't change much. And heaven knows he gave it to me. But once Jack came… I wasn't prepared for what I _needed_ from him to change. Or for Gideon to come back to the unit."

Reid sighed. "I've wondered, once or twice, about whether Gideon was good for any of us. I can see the team dynamic being different while Gideon was on administrative leave at the academy. Since I was with him, I really don't know."

"Aaron should have told me he was involved with you, before we socialized."

"I think he wanted you to get used to me. He may also have thought Jack might give some of it away."

Haley nodded. "To answer your earlier question, I broke up with Sven because he was rude about your relationship with Aaron -- not just with me, but in front of Jack. I reacted badly. I know that. But I'm not homophobic, and I don't want Jack to hear that kind of language -- especially regarding his father."

Reid broke the last scone in half and passed half of it to Haley.

She continued, "The reason I wanted to talk to you is that I know Aaron. If he's being public about the two of you, he's in it for the long haul. I don't know you. Do you love him?"

Reid closed his eyes and nodded. "For much longer than he knows. You _don't_ know me, but I would never have tried anything with him while he was married -- and not just because I thought he was straight or because I knew how much he loved his wife."

Her hand rested on his for a moment. "I needed to hear it from you." She let out a gusty sigh. "I wasn't entirely truthful when I said I wasn't prejudiced before. I know that I was open about my relationship with Sven and let him sleep over, but …" She looked away.

"You had Jack eleven nights out of every fourteen. It's different."

"And… " Haley shook her head. "Jack misses you. So, when you leave here tonight, I'll call Aaron and tell him that as far as I'm concerned, you can see Jack too. I am going to ask you not to spend the night with Aaron while Jack's around unless you -- well, you can't get married …"

"The District recognizes gay marriages from other states, but I don't think Hotch will ask."

She smiled. "I do. He loves you. He's the marrying kind. But let's say, 'asks you to move in with him' instead. If you two are serious enough to move in together, then you're serious enough to answer Jack's questions when he starts to ask them."

"Including what 'faggot' means. He heard that before we got him out of the room."

Haley said, "I know. And you mean, _you_ got him out of the room. I noticed that. Even that night, I saw you try to protect my son. If nothing else, it proved you were a better man than Sven."

"Haley, I... Thank you doesn't seem appropriate somehow."

"No. I shouldn't have threatened about the custody. My only defense was surprise. I'm still trying to figure out if Aaron's always been gay."

Reid laughed. "Bisexual. Me, too, by the way. And whether or not he has been, he's only ever loved one person at a time. He would never …"

"No, he wouldn't." She looked at her watch. "If you hurry, you can probably make it to Aaron's in time for pizza. I hope the scones didn't spoil your dinner."

"They're small." He stood to go, and then leaned over to kiss her cheek. "I know this must have been tough for you. Thank you, Haley." Reid pushed his way through the door behind her as she dialed her phone.

It was answered on the second ring. Haley could hear her son laughing in the background. "Aaron. I hope you haven't already ordered the pizza. Reid's going to be joining you tonight."


End file.
